FOOD STABILITY IS ESSENTIAL TO SOCIETAL STABILITY, AND TO SUCCESSFULLY PROVIDE FOR PROJECTED GLOBAL FOOD DEMANDS, INCREASED CROP PRODUCTION WILL BE REQUIRED. REDUCTION OF CROP LOSSES TO DISEASE AND PESTS IS CRITICAL TO THIS EFFORT, WITH THE CHALLENGE POTENTIATED BY ENVIRONMENTAL STRESSES. SUSTAINING A SECURE FOOD SUPPLY WILL REQUIRE INTEGRATED APPROACHES, WITH STRATEGIC AND ROBUST ENHANCEMENT OF CROP PLANT RESISTANCE PLAYING AN IMPORTANT ROLE. TO ADDRESS THIS SOCIETAL NEED OF DURABLE IMPROVEMENT OF PLANT RESISTANCE TO PESTS AND PATHOGENS, WE WILL INTEGRATE BIOCHEMICAL AND GENETIC APPROACHES IN BOTH MAIZE AND A MODEL PLANT. WE WILL DEFINE MECHANISMS BY WHICH NEWLY-DISCOVERED PROTEINS REGULATE PLANT RESPONSES TO DISEASE AND ENVIRONMENTAL STRESSES INCLUDING DROUGHT AND NUTRIENT DEFICIENCY. THIS PROJECT WILL CONTRIBUTE TO OUR (1) FUNDAMENTAL KNOWLEDGE OF CONSERVED REGULATORY MECHANISMS CONTROLLING DISEASE RESISTANCE ACROSS CROP SPECIES, AND (2) AN UNDERSTANDING OF HOW THESE PROCESSES IMPACT CROP RESPONSES TO OTHER ENVIRONMENTAL STRESSES. TO INCREASE SCIENTIFIC ACCESSIBILITY TO THE LARGER COMMUNITY, RESEARCH ACTIVITIES ARE INTEGRATED WITH AN EXTENSIVE EDUCATIONAL PLAN DESIGNED TO MEET THE NEEDS OF FIRST-GENERATION COLLEGE TRANSFER STUDENTS AND TO PROMOTE AWARENESS AND EXCITEMENT SURROUNDING OPPORTUNITIES IN THE PLANT SCIENCES AND BIOLOGY. THIS PLAN INCLUDES (1) CREATION OF THE RESEARCH OPPORTUNITIES AND ORIENTATION FOR TRANSFER STUDENTS (ROOTS) PROGRAM TO ENHANCE TRANSFER STUDENT RETENTION IN THE SCIENCES BY TRAINING THEM IN BASIC LABORATORY TECHNIQUES AND CONNECTING THEM WITH RESEARCH LAB POSITIONS, (2) EXPANSION OF A RESEARCH-INTEGRATED UNDERGRADUATE LABORATORY COURSE TO ACTIVELY ENGAGE STUDENTS IN PUBLISHABLE RESEARCH AND (3) PARTNERSHIP WITH A LOCAL COMMUNITY LEADER TO SUPPORT AN ELEMENTARY SCHOOL COMMUNITY GARDEN WITH PLANT-BASED EDUCATIONAL ENRICHMENT ACTIVITIES.